1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bowling lane maintenance apparatus comprising applicator roller means for applying a conditioning oil to the surface of a bowling lane and buffing roller means for polishing the oil applied surface of the bowling lane, and more particularly to a roller selecting mechanism for use in such a bowling lane maintenance apparatus, which can selectively be actuated to bring one of the applicator and buffing rollers into contact with the bowling lane surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Frequent cleaning and maintenance are required in bowling lanes to maintain the bowling lane surfaces at a good ball throwing condition and to condition them into an equal characteristics, the latter being particularly requested in conpetitions. Maintenance is accomplished by applying the conditioning oil to the bowling lanes in a very thin and uniform layer or in layers having desirably variable thickness by the use of the applicator roller means and then polishing the oil applied bowling lanes with the buffing roller means. Thus, the maintenance apparatus is designed such that the applicator roller means will first be brought into contact with the surface of a bowling lane from the foul line toward the pin zone in that bowling lane and then the buffing roller means will be placed into contact with the bowling lane surface from the pin zone toward the foul line.
In the prior art, the maintenance apparatus comprises a roller selecting mechanism by which each of the applicator and buffing rollers is forced into contact with the bowling lane. It is therefore difficult to contact the roller with the bowling lane under a uniform pressure throughout the length of the roller. As a result, the conditioning oil can hardly be applied to the bowling lane with a uniform or desirably variable thickness.